Manuscript Format Guidelines

We'll talk during Monday's class about what an academic paper should look like.  For this paper, you'll follow MLA guidelines, which are explained here:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/

Certain classes will require you to use APA guidelines; these guidelines are also available at Purdue's OWL.

Below are a few common mistakes students make.  Be advised: you will lose points on your paper if you do not follow these instructions.

• Staple: Your pages should be attached with a single staple in the upper left corner.  I do not carry a stapler to class.  Please don't ask me.
• Title: Your paper needs one. A title does more than name the assignment.  For example, "Essay One" is unsuitable.  A title does more than name the topic.  For example, "My Grandmother's Kitchen" needs to do more. A title should create interest, and sum up the work in just a few words.  "Cinnamon Flavored Hair Dye" might be a good title for an essay that tells the story of a grandmother who mixed up her hair care products with her kitchen spices.
• Paragraph Spacing: As the guidelines state, your essay should be double spaced throughout.  No additional spacing should appear between paragraphs.  Warning: recent versions of Microsoft Word insert extra spacing as a default setting.  You will need to change this.

We'll talk more about these issues in class.